Folding bookrack



March 25, 1930. s. AMSTUTZ FOLDING BOOKRACK Filed March 26, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 H Y n W" [T m; J.

a a a e n m E Q u 4 P :r I z k "A I a 7 a March 25, 1930. N. s. AMSTUTZ 1,751,677

FOLDING BOOKRACK Filed March 26, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 mentot March 25, 1930. N; s. AMSTUTZ 1,751,677

FOLDING BOOKRACK Filed March 26, 1925 v s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mal- 25, 1930 a i 1,751,677

UNITED, STATES PATENT .oFFIcE man s. Amsmu'rz, or VALBABAIso, INDIANA.

L I QQ E-BA K AQpliQElfiOlL filed March 26, 1925. Serial No. 18,527.

My invention relates to improvements in ara-te portions to erect a book rack ready for folding-bookracks and it more especially conuse. In addition, it is also essential tomake sists of the features pointed out in the anprovision for preventing'books from sliding vnered claims. ea toward the rear when a filled rack is car- Thepurpose of my invention is to provide ried from place to place. 55 a self contained folding book rackwh-ich is It is of the highest utilitarian valuetohave simple in construction that foldsfiatwiseint'o individual unit book racks of light weight small compass; that has all-the parts'secured and of moderate size to enable the business to each other; that has no removable parts man, engineer, architect, editor, author, and

to be combined with the other parts when the research worker to easily segregate in aportco bookrack-is unfolded; that has a hinged baek able fashion such groups of books with which which folds under the hinged ends; thatmay he is immediately concerned. The portable have a cooperating baseand' top if desired; feature enables anyone to carry a single unit andthat has self registering. means to position from place to place so as to easilyget away thebook racks when they are assembled one from annoyances of one kind or another, find above another. 1 more private quarters for undisturbed study,

WVith these and other ends in View, I;i 'llusetc. This. facility. brings about a degree of trate in the accompanying drawing such inflBX bilit'y in its use which under present constances of adaptation as will disclose the ditions one is not able to attain.

' broad underlying features without limit-1 mg" Another practicalutil ity of my invention 7 lmyse'lf'to the specific details shown thereon resides in the use that students canmake of r nd d rib d herein, I 1 a the folding book racks described herein.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of two-book Their usewillihculcate system; and orderlirack units assembledone above another with .ness in a students quarters vwhich are ordibase andtop-sections. I

Fig.2 is afrontelevation of abook rack in occasion arises to move from. 1. p a e to its-folded relation. another the books can 'becompactlygrouped Fig. 3 is aplan View of Fig. 2. inlboxesufor shipment and the cool; racks Fig. 4 is an elevationin cross section showfolded into small spaceflatwise so as to be ing two units assembled one above another. easily packed in the bottom of the t1-u 1l ;.'co

Fig. 5 is a cross section of" the self-align- Thesebookraoks canibe usedsingly ole-stacked ing features between two units. f one abovetfheother as desired. It;i snot]1 1ec- Fig. Gisa top plan view of' a book-rack in "'e ssaryto use a base of top unless such are its unfolded state. wanted. 1 V v Fig.7 is amodifiedform'of hinge. In practically carrying out myinyentio 12;;

" Fig. 8 -is adetachable end portion; of either Itmay use any suitable flat board 1 as a book an extreme topor extreme bottom fol dable support; 7 Tothlisat each end the foldingend unit duplicates of each other. members 2 are secured by means ofhing s Fig.9'isa crosssection of Fig. 8 approxi- .4. Thesehinges are let into the insid fac mately on the li-ne of the hingel'f, shownin of the endimembers 2 and they a gh1 Fi .3. 7 V. y cured t theendso the ooks pport The Fig. :10 isa front View perspective of one centers Q h P n f gjesta e pl ce .ofthe center f'o-l'dable units. .abOVQ the upper face of the support 1 Sufi- Fig. 11 is a vertical sectionnofFig. 10. .ciently l t lQ the nged backs 3to -I n-the-practical use of folding rbookracks. foldonto the support, 1 beneath hinged 93 it is essential that there be no detachable finds-2 asshown in Fig. 2.

parts to the end that when the book rack is: Thebacks 3 are pivoted tothe supports l by folded it will be. complete in every essential means of'hinges 5 secured to the rear edges, of portion of its construction. .This. obviates. the supports and to the lower front faces of the necessity of combiningdetachable or septhe backs, as shown in F g. 4. Thehing 5 1-00 narilymore orless congested; Whenev rthe T form a stop for the backs 3 to hold them in an erect position when the book rack is unfolded because their pivot centers are positioned above the lower face of the supports 1, which position also permits the backs to lie flat against the upper face of the supports when the book racks are folded.

The individual units are easily carried from place to place, or reassembled in groups by means of the hand-holds 6. lVhen the ends 2 are raised the backs 3 prevent the ends collapsing. Ordinarily no catches are pecessary to hold the backs in a raised position because there is enough friction between a back and its cooperating two ends to hold the back raised. When a book rack is carried, the books on the support tend toslide rearward 7 because the unit is naturally held so as to tilt backward. This holds the books against the back 3 which'is of course positively held in place.

Recesses 7 are formed on the under edges of the sides 2 so as to leave two feet with facing edges 8. The feet rest in channels 9, having sides 10, which are secured to the upper edges of the ends 2 by means of round headed screws 11. These screws, the edges 8 and the sides 10 of the channels 9 form self aligning features which hold assembled units from displacement, endwise of the units and also in a front to back relation. This expedient does not however prevent the immediate disengagement of the units from each other.

WVhenever it is desired to use a base and top with a group of units these may be formed similar to the regulation racks, of the same length an d depth but of reduced height, with identical hinging and folding features. A base only may be used underneath aigiven group when books etc., are to be placed on the uppermost unit which are taller than the height of each section, thus permitting them to project above the ends 2. Of course a special top could obviously be made, in which the ends would project below the main'board or support 1 andhinged to it to fold underneath,

in order to make head room for'extra length books, pamphlets, etc.

It is also possible to make the separate bases and tops rigid, shown in Fig. 1, when used for ornamental trimming. In this event, the rigid ends 2 are fastened tothe supports 1, arear rail 3 secured to the upper face of the supports and a front apron 15 is attached to the under face of the supports. Channels 9 with screws 11 and abutting edges 8 are formed as on the regular, units. If an extra 3 base and top are assembled one aboveanother in the middle of a group of unitsvery shallow shelves are secured which, if desired, will add variety to the arrangement of any given group of units. The hinges shaped surface hinges 12, shown in Fig. 7, in which the upstanding member forms the piv- 4, may be replaced by the L ot at 13. Screws 14 attach the hinges to the support 1. Whatever kind of hinges are used, the end and rear edges of the support 1 serve to limit the extent to which the back 3 and the ends 2 can be unfolded, thus serving to hold the raised'ends and raised back firmly against accidental collapse.

If the back be hinged high enough to fold over the ends this is considered an equivalent of the structure in which the ends fold over the back.

The structure shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is to furnish extra head room on the top or between any intermediate units for extra long books or pamphlets etc. ltcomprises a flat board 20 to the extremities of which ends 18 are hinged similar to the ends 2, except that in the case of ends 2 these fold over the top of the back 3 and in contrast the ends 18 fold under the apron 16 which is attached to the board 20-by means of hinges 17 Hinges 19 secure the ends 18 to the board 20.

It is of course immaterial as to how the units are assembled in relation to each other.

Ordinarily, for students use it may be found that a single foldable unit, without a top. or base will be ample to serve his needs while at college. A single unit will enable anyone to travel light and yet afford a ready means to attain orderliness economically and without complexity.

What I claim is: 7

1. In folding book racks, a flat support,

ends projecting above and below the same, a.)

support, a back hinged above the top face and fol'dable onto the support, a pair of ends hinged to the support above the top surface of the back so as to be foldable fiatwise onto the back, and cooperating self aligning means positioned on the upper and lower edges of the ends to hold a plurality of ends in assembled relation to each other when the parts are unfolded. i

3. In folding book racks, a unitary structure comprising a support, a back hinged to the support above its under face and projectmg above andbelow the hinges and ends hinged above their lower edges to the support, all so assembled that the back folds first onto the support and the ends thereafter onto the back so that all the parts when folded lie. approximately on parallel planes and when unfolded at angles to each other.

4. In folding book racks, a support, hinged ends folding toward leach other above the I support, channels,.projecting means for hold ing the channels on the upper edges of the ends, and cooperating recesses formed on the under edges adapted to register with the V projecting means when the lower edges of a.

pair of ends are positioned in the channels of another pair of ends.

5. In folding book racks, a relatively flat support, hinged ends extending above and below the support, a continuous channel on the upper edge of each end, means between the channels and the lower edge of the ends whereby the cooperation between these parts constitutes self aligning means adapted to hold separate pairs of ends in a predeten mined front and back and sidewise assembled relation instantly separable from each other.

6. In folding book racks, a base serving also as a top when assembled with unitary book rack sections, comprising a support, ends attached thereto, a back secured thereon, feet formed on the lower edges of the ends, and guiding channels on the upper edges of the ends.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

NOAH S. AMSTUTZ. 

